Chapter 473: Chapter 456: So Many Accomplices
With a long laugh, Fan Ru appeared, Fan Hong in tow. "If I hadn’t come, this kid of mine would be looking for a new father. See? What did I tell you? There was no need to worry at all."
Celestial Demon’s heart grew even colder. ’What the hell? Have these Great Perfection masters no integrity, no sense of propriety?’
’Since when could Great Perfection masters be ordered around like this!’
Celestial Demon’s mind was in complete disarray, even bordering on Chaos. All this time, he believed he controlled his own destiny, but now, he had nothing.
Yuu Kunlun gave Celestial Demon a faint glance. "This is the Holy Hall. We are merely passing by. The grievances between the Holy Hall and the Ten Thousand Demons Sect should naturally be resolved according to the rules of the Star Alliance. I imagine Brother Fan is also just passing through and has no intention of interfering, correct?"
"Hehe, Brother Yuu speaks the truth."
Truth be told, Fan Ru and Yuu Kunlun’s positions were somewhat adversarial. Though not directly opposed, they were brought together because of Wang Meng.
Celestial Demon truly felt like he was seeing ghosts. He had heard about the scene at the grand ceremony but hadn’t witnessed it himself. He hadn’t believed that several Great Perfection masters would actually take Wang Meng seriously. Even if there was some friendship, the debt would have surely been repaid at that ceremony. The favor of a Great Perfection master was not something given lightly.
But... he now understood that he had been gravely mistaken.
’Just what kind of Enchantment potion did Wang Meng give them?’
Fan Hong secretly gave a thumbs-up.
Yuu Kunlun and the others paid no mind to Celestial Demon, but they were stunned by Hu Jing and her group.
Four Holy Statues. One a hybrid Life Artifact and Holy Statue, one a healing type, one a Water Attribute Attack Type, and one more... that was very special.
In any other Sect, even one of these would be a priceless treasure, yet four had appeared in the Holy Hall. Adding Wang Meng and Mingren, that made six.
Although the Great Perfection masters present appeared very calm, the shock in their hearts was beyond description.
’What did this concentrated eruption of talent signify?’
Celestial Demon knew that today’s matter would be difficult to resolve peacefully, but he wasn’t about to just let it go. Celestial Demon was a formidable figure in his own right!
"Wang Meng, do you have the guts to settle this with me?" Celestial Demon said.
"Celestial Demon, have you no shame!" Zhu Zhun said coldly. He was a Demon Cultivator who cultivated his Heart Spirit. He had no taboos. Even back when he was a Loose Cultivator, he was someone not to be trifled with, let alone now. He viewed Wang Meng as his successor, so how could he let Celestial Demon act so atrociously?
Celestial Demon’s expression turned ugly. If no one had known, what would it matter if he had wiped them all out? But now, if he tried to do so, he doubted anyone would allow it.
"Wang Meng, I will fight you using only the power of a Minor Perfection cultivator!"
Celestial Demon said coldly, "If anyone else interferes, and word of this gets out, you esteemed few will be seen as disregarding the Star Alliance. The Ten Thousand Demons Sect may not carry enough weight, but there are those who do!"
The Taiyin Sect may be large, but it still has plenty of rivals. If they revealed such an obvious weakness, they would surely be attacked within the Star Alliance.
Before Yuu Kunlun and the others could speak, Wang Meng waved his hand. "Celestial Demon, this is a battle between my Holy Hall and the Ten Thousand Demons Sect. No one will interfere. You can use your full strength."
Everyone was stunned. Fan Hong was on the verge of panic. Wang Meng’s words had sealed the deal; now, even Yuu Kunlun and the others couldn’t easily intervene. If someone else were to grab hold of this and spread it, it would be a major blow to their Sect’s reputation.
It was the same for ordinary people and Cultivators alike; if you wanted to make your way in the world, you had to follow certain rules.
Seeing Wang Meng speak with such certainty, Celestial Demon gave a wistful smile. "Good, good, good. You’re even more gallant than Xuee Zhongnan. For those words alone, if you lose, I will spare your life!"
Celestial Demon was also a clever man. He knew killing Wang Meng was likely impossible now, but driving him away was just as good. Once Wang Meng lost this battle, he could no longer stay in the Four Directions Small Thousand World, and Celestial Demon’s objective would be achieved.
As long as he unified the Four Directions Small Thousand World, the Star Alliance would naturally invest resources in him. At that point, he could also find stronger allies. Even the Taiyin Sect wouldn’t be able to do anything to him then.
What he wanted was the qualification and the bargaining chip.
Everyone else retreated into the Holy Hall. A battle of this level could easily harm the innocent. Of course, Yuu Kunlun and the others were an exception.
They, on the other hand, wanted to see just how Wang Meng would fight a Great Perfection master. After all, he was only at the First Layer of Minor Perfection. Although Celestial Demon was merely at the entry-level of Great Perfection, the difference was still as vast as heaven and earth.
’In terms of courage, I actually admire Wang Meng quite a bit. Of course, he’s also quite foolish for giving up the best opportunity to use Yuu Kunlun and the others.’
This idea hadn’t just occurred to Wang Meng; it was his original plan for dealing with Celestial Demon. Even though Yuu Kunlun and the others had arrived, Wang Meng had no intention of letting this opportunity go. He would have to face this eventually, and Yuu Kunlun and his group wouldn’t always be there.
"Come, let me witness the power of the Holy Hall Master."
Celestial Demon became composed, his hands clasped behind his back. ’Even if Wang Meng is a heaven-sent prodigy, it’s useless. Even an attack with the power of Hu Jing’s, which could deal with Easily Broken Soul, still wouldn’t be enough to handle a Great Perfection master, even as a sneak attack.’
’It was an insurmountable gap.’
Wang Meng drew the Mozi. The pitch-black blade emanated a faint glow. Facing a Great Perfection master, Wang Meng remained calm and composed, but the crowd inside the Holy Hall was nervous to death.
Hu Jing’s power and the sudden appearance of Yuu Kunlun and the others had left everyone exhilarated, but they didn’t understand why Wang Meng would make such a choice. Although it wasn’t a wise decision, a stubborn fire burned within their hearts.
It was pride!
The Holy Hall Disciples had their pride. Even if Yuu Kunlun and the others’ help scared off the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, they would still have been defeated in spirit.
Their willingness to break from old cultivation methods and challenge tradition all stemmed from courage.
And Wang Meng was taking that courage to its absolute limit.
So they were at once worried and excited, all their feelings stemming from a kind of suppression.
Wang Meng made his move.
The Mozi shot out a ray of light, striking toward Celestial Demon. A trace of surprise appeared on Celestial Demon’s careless expression. This single strike was enough to reveal Wang Meng’s profound skill.
Celestial Demon took a step, every movement of a Great Perfection master in perfect harmony with the Celestial Dao. He lightly sidestepped Wang Meng’s strike.
Just then, Wang Meng’s follow-up attacks began to erupt. His Sword Qi surged like a mighty river. Celestial Demon dodged with an air of indifference. ’I’m not just posturing for Yuu Kunlun and the others; I have no choice. The rhythm of the battle has been set. This is also a show for the people inside the Holy Hall. Once I get rid of Wang Meng, that group of people will be mine to plunder, one by one!’
’Even if they’re unwilling, there are many ways to make them willing. And as it happens, I, Celestial Demon, am an expert in this field.’
Wang Meng’s Sword Technique looked chaotic, but every strike was meticulous, as if it had been tempered a thousand times. This disorderly Sword Technique still forced Celestial Demon to dodge with care. The slightest carelessness would lead to embarrassment.
As a Great Perfection master who still had to make his way in the Star Alliance, Celestial Demon couldn’t afford the humiliation.
He dodged while applying pressure. At the Great Perfection level, one didn’t need to attack to apply pressure—oppressive defense!
Soon, the situation stabilized. Wang Meng’s attacks were still fierce and sharp, but he could no longer force Celestial Demon to retreat.
Celestial Demon was like a towering mountain that could only be looked up to. To be honest, a Celestial Demon like this hadn’t even made a real move yet.
Wang Meng was strong enough. Facing the pressure of a Great Perfection master, he could still bring his own power to bear. Anyone else might not even have the confidence to strike.
Celestial Demon was getting impatient. ’If I don’t teach this brat a lesson, he’ll really think he’s something special.’
Finally, Celestial Demon took a step. The opening act was over. ’Out of respect for Yuu Kunlun, it wouldn’t be right to just slap Wang Meng to death.’
This step announced the official start of the battle. The aura of a Great Perfection master erupted suddenly. It had to be said, Celestial Demon was not a magnanimous person. Under these circumstances, he should have at least used a comparable level of Elemental Power, but instead, he unleashed the aura of a Great Perfection right from the start.
For Celestial Demon, every extra minute spent here was torture.
’A quick battle to avoid any further complications.’
The Great Perfection’s aura pressed down, blanketing everything. Wang Meng was immediately hit by a massive impact, his face turning pale.
A smile touched the corner of Celestial Demon’s mouth. ’Not bad. Under this kind of impact, an ordinary Cultivator would be either dead or severely injured.’
In a single step, he was in front of Wang Meng, bringing a palm down on his head. His earlier promise not to inflict a fatal injury was apparently bullshit.
Everyone’s hearts were in their throats. The Great Perfection’s aura enveloped the entire area. Unless one was at the same level, they would be completely suppressed. Even the people inside the Holy Hall felt like they were suffocating. The younger disciples who had not reached Great Perfection found it especially unbearable. But just then, the Dragon Pearl above the Holy Hall released a brilliant light that enveloped the building, allowing everyone to breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Yuu Kunlun and the others were also watching intently. If there was one person who wasn’t worried, it was definitely Mo Chen, because Mo Chen had crossed hands with Wang Meng many times.
BOOM...
Dust flew into the air. Celestial Demon was stunned. His palm strike had missed. Wang Meng was completely unaffected by his aura. With a thunderous roar, a sound wave like a shockwave erupted.
Zhu Zhun nodded repeatedly. ’This Demon Sound is completely different in Wang Meng’s hands, but the artistic conception is quite good.’
Celestial Demon also felt his Heart Spirit waver. But in that brief moment of distraction, the Mozi Sword had already arrived.
BOOM...
Celestial Demon was forced to defend and was struck.
Elemental Qi exploded. Even in his haste, Celestial Demon still possessed power that Wang Meng couldn’t compare to.
While spinning in the air to disperse the force, he blasted out one Curved Sword Qi after another.
Compared to flashy Sword Techniques, Wang Meng preferred the most basic ones; it was just that in his hands, they became much more refined.
Streaks of dark light shot toward Celestial Demon, who could only defend. Strike after strike bombarded him, forcing the Great Perfection master to retreat once again.
This time, Celestial Demon was starting to lose face. He really hadn’t expected Wang Meng to be unaffected by his aura—and to be able to act!
His Elemental Power erupted. He avoided his vital points and simply blasted away Wang Meng’s Sword Qi with raw Elemental Power.
He followed up with a punch. Wang Meng, in mid-air, deployed a Sword Screen, but was still sent flying.
Celestial Demon brushed the dust off his clothes. ’This is the huge gap in Elemental Power!’
"If you have any other tricks, use them now. Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance!"
Celestial Demon was becoming furious from the embarrassment. After all, in front of peers like Yuu Kunlun, he really couldn’t afford to lose this much face.
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The *Holy Hall* online game starts its open beta tomorrow! Since it’s a beta, there might be a lot of issues during the testing period, but I hope all you readers will be supportive and understanding! If you can, please offer lots of questions and suggestions. I believe that with our combined efforts, the game will get better and better! This is the first time one of Skeleton’s novels has been adapted into a major game, and I’m so excited! Everyone, please come and show your support. I’ll hop on and play with you all when I have time! Remember to join the reader game group: 237444024, for exclusive GM support for *Holy Hall* readers. Also, register at this address http://st.mayiyou.com/1 for a chance to get the exclusive, out-of-print Demon Pet modeled after me, the "Skeleton Elf"! What are you waiting for? Let’s go! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)